Chapter 6 The First Meeting
I stood frozen.
The world went quiet.
Only Xie Ning remained in my sight.
My nose stung. My eyes grew hot.
I rushed forward and hugged him tightly.
It was Xie Ning.
He was alive.
This was not a dream.
Only when his body stiffened did I let go.
No.
Xie Ning did not know me yet.
This sudden action would only make him dislike me.
I stepped back and lifted my eyes carefully.
Xie Ning's lips were pressed together. He looked startled.
Xuan Ming forced a laugh. "As expected of a girl from Yu Jing. So bold and straightforward!"
A Li chimed in quickly. "My lady must have been dazed by the same name and mistook him for someone else. Please forgive her, Young Valley Lord."
They pulled me back, blocking his gaze.
I opened my mouth to explain, but the words stuck in my throat.
Today was my first meeting with Xie Ning.
It was not the right time to tell him everything.
Right now, using him to avoid Rong Che mattered most.
Xuan Ming half-dragged, half-coaxed Xie Ning away.
He shot A Li a look, urging her to close the door.
Once the door separated us from Xie Ning, A Li asked anxiously, "Imperial Princess, what did you mean by 'husband'? You've never lost control like this."
I lowered my eyes. "It's a long story."
"You only need to remember that my future husband is Xie Ning."
A Li stared, her voice rising.
"When did you meet him?"
She had stayed by my side for years and looked shocked.
"Besides, this is just a remote valley far from Yu Jing. The Wolf Clan is wild and vicious by nature."
"Yu Jing has plenty of suitable young masters from noble demon clans for you to choose from. Why him?"
"From what his subordinate said, they rob people on the roads. How are they different from mountain bandits?"
My lashes trembled.
The Xie Ning now was indeed very different from the one I knew.
I told myself he must have his reasons for hiding his identity in Yu Jing.
He was still Xie Ning.
So what if he came from a bandit background.
While he was not yet weak, I would cure his Gu Poison first.
My voice cooled.
"I have my own plans."
"He is not like Rong Che. Do not mention this again."